Tiva Beginnings
by DebateShortie
Summary: This is how I think that Tony and Ziva should get together. TIVA obviously! My 20th story! R&R as usual


Ziva sighed. It had been a long day., and they had just wrapped up a rough case. She looked over at her partner, asleep at his desk. She thought back to her rescue many months ago. He had been the first one she saw, and had been the one that comforted her when the nightmares started. It had been then that she really fell in love with him.

She looked around the bullpen. Gibbs was the only other one besides the herself and Tony and he was leaving.

"Good night Ziva. Make sure you finish your report by morning, and wake DiNozzo up so he can finish, too."

"Okay." She replied and watched him leave. She stood up and walked over to McGee's desk and sat in his chair. She wheeled over to Tony's desk. He was sleeping peacefully leaning back in his chair. She gently rested her hand against his chest. She could feel the slow, sleepy beat of his heart. She shook him gently.

"Wh-what?" He woke with a start.

"Tony, we need to finish our reports."

"Oh, yeah, right." He noticed her hand still on his chest, and covered it with his own. His heartbeat picked up under her hand. She smiled softly.

"Tony, reports."

"I know. Mine's almost done."

"I finished mine before Gibbs left." He looked at her, confusion painting his features.

"Then why are you still here?"

"To be with you..."

"Why..."

"Because-"

"Why can't you two get work done?" They both jumped at the sound of thier boss's voice. Neither had an answer. They both snapped back to work, chagrin and embarrassment painting thier faces.

"Why did you come back?" Ziva was the one brave enough to ask.

"My reports aren't done." Neither one questioned him further. All three worked in silence. After about three hours they all finished. Tony invited Ziva over for a movie. Ziva accepted, trying not to sound too eager. She followed him to his apartment.

She hadn't been to his apartment since returning from Somalia. Gibbs had insisted that she not be alone; he knew that her nightmares would be bad. And he was right, no amount of prepareness and countermeasures had prevented or even helped them. Only Tony made the nights bearable.

She sat down on his couch, and watched him put in the DVD. He sat down next to her and casually put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and rested her cheek agaisnt his chest and tried to concertrate on the movie. He didn't say anything about the close contact. She loved this movie but was slowly falling asleep. He smelled so good and she could hear his heart beating contently. He saw that she was dozing off and shifted so that she was laying across him.

NCISNCISNCISNCIS

She slept really well that night better than she had without him holding her. She rode into work with him, and Gibbs didn't say a word. He already knew that there was something between his agents and chose to let it slide. After all he had to break his own rules to be with Abby.

"Dead Marine" Gibbs greeted them. They drove to the bar near where the Marine was found. They identified him as Lt. Commander Brian Cox. Ziva took a momnet to study Tony in the sunlight. He looked good, the air ruffling his dark hair. She walked over to him and took pictures of the body. The Lt. had been badly beaten and stabbed repeatedly. They discussed the crime scene and Tony watched her, emerald green eyes sparkling. Gibbs assigned them to the pleasant job of notifying the Marine's wife.

The woman broke down in Ziva's arms and Ziva looked over at Tony helplessly. He just shrugged. He could calm Ziva down, but strangers were a whole different story. Soon she calmed down enough to answer questions.

"Agent David, why?"

"We are not sure yet. Is there anyone who would wish harm to your husband?"

"No! Brian was kind and well respected. He couldn't hurt a fly." Tony took over the questions while Ziva called Abby for an update.

"Welp, that got us no where." Tony was a bit frustrated.

"Not exactly, Tony. Why would a supposedly harmless man become a Marine?"

"Duty?" Tony didn't quite follow her logic.

"No man who claims to be harmless joins the military. Look at Ducky: he had to be drafted just to be a doctor in the Royal Air Force."

"So, Zee, that means that the Lt. was living two lives!"

"So it seems." Tony leaned over and kissed her cheek chastely. She felt herself blush a deep red.

"So what of the life his wife didn't know about? If he ran around with other women, how'd he get past his wife?"

"Maybe it wasn't sleeping around. Maybe it was different. You kept your undercover op with Jeanne secret from us and us secret from her."

"Yea… So what would he have done?"

"I do not know yet Tony." At that moment they pulled up to NCIS Headquarters. Tony ran background checks and McGee did a little hacking.

"His record is clear, boss. Not even a traffic ticket."

"So's mine, DiNozzo. Doesn't mean he's never done anything wrong. He just hasn't been caught." Gibbs had a point. Abby phoned up to tell them that her tests would take a while.

"Go home and get some rest. Be back at 1000. Yes I know tomorrow's Saturday, McGee." There was nothing really left for them to do.

Tony drove Ziva back to his place and then Ziva drove home to her apartment, unaware that Tony had followed her. Last night had left him with unfinished business. He was in love with her. He couldn't live without her, that much she knew from Somalia. He snuck up on her as she stepped in her door and wrapped his arms around her.

"Tony! What are you doing?!" Her face blushed a deep red again.

"Holding you," He looked down at her sheepishly.

"Why?" She was more than a little confused.

"Because I love you," It was easier for him to say than he thought it would be. She gasped and turned to look at him. He leaned down to press his lips softly to hers. Her head spun and she fainted in his arms. He loves her!

"Ziva?" He looked down on her worriedly. She asserted that she was fine. She couldn't believe it. Here, he was in her home and admitting that he was in love with her. Tony sat down on the couch and fell asleep almost immediately. She watched him sleep for a few minutes before getting ready for bed herself.

She screamed in her sleep hours later. That same dream, Somalia. Tony awoke and bolted into her bedroom. He pulled her into his arms and tried to calm her. She slowly settled down and fell asleep, her head resting on his chest. He watched her sleep before slipping back into slumber himself.

She woke up not knowing what had happened. She was in her bed but there was a thumping in her ears that was echoing throughout her head. As sleep faded, she slowly became more aware and recognized the sound as the beating of Tony's heart. She vaguely remembered having a nightmare. She was embarrassed and tried to move out of his embrace without waking him, which didn't work.

"Zee…you okay?" The concern on his face made him look even more handsome.

"I am fine…" She didn't want to admit that she felt uncomfortable in his arms. He looked into her chocolate brown eyes and could tell.

"Zee…I love you and you apparently love me. Is it so awkward waking up in my arms, when you don't get sleep any other time? I can tell that you're not sleeping well at all. Why didn't you tell me before?" She didn't have an answer.

Tony tightened his hold and she leaned her head back down on his chest again. She gently pressed her lips over his heart. Yes, she did love him. His phone rang. The thunderstorm of the night before (that she had amazingly slept through) left power lines down all over metro DC. They were told not to come in.

"There was a storm?" He nodded. She really had slept through it, which had never happened before. So, Tony's embrace kept away nightmares and storms...

So, Ziva had all day to spend with her partner. No…her soul mate. She looked into his green eyes briefly and kissed him. The kiss turned passionate…

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

She laid her head against his chest against. He looked down at her and studied her. She was beautiful, her skin golden and soft, the fading scars only adding to her beauty. She was a survivor. She ran her hands down the smooth muscled planes of his chest and stomach. He was so beautiful, his green eyes sparkling again. He was very strong and handsome and he loved her. Life was good for both of them. Very good

**A/N This is a one shot but you may do a sequel. Just ask me first. I will maybe later. I have too many stories that you guys want me to add to or write a sequel to. Never thought I would be this popular. This is my 20th story on FF!**


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